Law and Gospel

[JustinWilliams]

Hi folks! :wave:

Could you recommend some good books that deal with the issue of law and gospel?

Thanks :thumbsup:

[Rechtgläubig]

Here these are free:

http://www.wls.wels.net/library/Essays/Subjects/L/lsubind.htm#Law&Gospel


Don't say I never gave you anything...


:D

[filosofer]

The Formula of Concord (1577) has an excellent summary of Law/Gospel.

As for books, Walther's book The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, W.H.T. Dau's 1929 translation, is the best for in-depth discussion.

[SemStudent08]

Hi folks! :wave:

Could you recommend some good books that deal with the issue of law and gospel?

Thanks :thumbsup:


The Lutheran Confessions: a Handbook for Sharing the Faith
by Timothy J. Wengert

This Wengert would be the same one of the duo Wengert/Kolb who spent 9 years translating the Book of Concord. This "Handbook" is a good resource for going through the Book of Concord and getting at the main ideas, i.e. Law & Gospel. If I come across any more I'll let you know!

For more info and a summary of the book (also written by Wengert) check out the link here (http://www.elca.org/lp/luconfes.html).

[Protoevangel]

A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/galatians.titlepage.html)

Another link (http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/gal/web/gal-inx.html)

From Chapter 2:

Some will object that the Law is divine and holy. Let it be divine and holy. The Law has no right to tell me that I must be justified by it. The Law has the right to tell me that I should love God and my neighbor, that I should live in chastity, temperance, patience, etc. The Law has no right to tell me how I may be delivered from sin, death, and hell. It is the Gospel's business to tell me that. I must listen to the Gospel. It tells me, not what I must do, but what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done for me.

From Chapter 4:

There is a time for the Law and a time for grace. Let us study to be good timekeepers. It is not easy. Law and grace may be miles apart in essence, but in the heart, they are pretty close together. In the heart fear and trust, sin and grace, Law and Gospel cross paths continually.

Whether reason hears that justification before God is obtained by grace alone, it draws the inference that the Law is without value. The doctrine of the Law must therefore be studied carefully lest we either reject the Law altogether, or are tempted to attribute to the Law a capacity to save.

There are three ways in which the Law may be abused. First, by the self- righteous hypocrites who fancy that they can be justified by the Law. Secondly, by those who claim that Christian liberty exempts a Christian from the observance of the Law. "These," says Peter, "use their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness," and bring the name and the Gospel of Christ into ill repute. Thirdly, the Law is abused by those who do not understand that the Law is meant to drive us to Christ. When the Law is properly used its value cannot be too highly appraised. It will take me to Christ every time.

[JustinWilliams]

Here these are free:

http://www.wls.wels.net/library/Essays/Subjects/L/lsubind.htm#Law&Gospel


Don't say I never gave you anything...


:D


I'll make a note of it :thumbsup: :P

[CrossWiseMag]

A smaller, cheaper, "newer" version of Walther's classic "Law & Gospel" is published by Concordia Publishing House. It's called "God's No and God's Yes." Or "God's Yes and God's No." I can never remember which way it's worded.

[JustinWilliams]

Thanks for the help guys! :wave:

[SPALATIN]

I'll make a note of it :thumbsup: :P

Also note "God's No and God's Yes, The proper distinction between Law and Gospel" by C.F.W. Walther. You can get it through Concordia publishing house (http://www.cph.org/) books.

Sorry CWM didn't see that you already recommended this one.:D

[revjpw]

This Wengert would be the same one of the duo Wengert/Kolb who spent 9 years translating the Book of Concord.


Ahem... that's Kolb/Wengert.;)